Penguin
by sammy11
Summary: Quinn and Rachel haven't talked since graduation. Quinn texts her, but Rachel never responds. Rachel, waiting for Finn, is getting chased after by Brody. If Quinn wants any type of chance with Rachel, she has to somehow get around Finn and Brody. Is she up to the challenge or will she back out because of fear? Rated T for now, possibly M in the future. "Penguin" by Christina Perri.
1. Not Luck

**Hey you guys. I've been listening to "Penguin" by Christina Perri. I thought of the idea of a Brittana fic, but I changed it to Faberry. I thought that would be better fitting. It's been a while, so I'm hoping that this is gonna go well. Please review and I'm open to any suggestions and all criticism. Thanks you guys! -sammy**

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One call. That's all I wish from her. I bought us those metro north passes. I just want one call from her. I haven't heard from her all summer. I haven't really gotten to talk to her since graduation and the last time I saw her was when the train pulled away. That killed me and it kills me even more knowing that she's doing so well in New York and we haven't kept in touch. I've texted her but for some reason she hasn't replied. I guess we weren't the 'friends' that I thought we were. I want to go visit her and see how she is in New York, but I don't want to be rude and show up unannounced, especially if she has some fancy NYADA thing she has attend. I have heard that she and Kurt are living together now. I haven't really cared to keep in touch with everyone else from glee club as much as I want to with her. Though maybe, I should give one of them a call. I grab my cell and figure I could start off with Mercedes. I mean, she probably still talks to Kurt.

"Hello?"

"Mercedes? It's Quinn."

"Pretty blonde with the white girl ass! How have you been? How is Yale?"

I laugh a bit from the old nickname. "I've been okay. Yale's good. Yale's actually pretty great. How's LA, hot shot?"

"It's fun. A very different experience; a lot better than Ohio. I've been singing back-up for a couple different people. Getting small gigs here and there. Mostly been working odd jobs to pay the bills."

"Sounds fun!" I say with a hint of sarcasm. "Hey, I have a question to ask."

"Go ahead, shoot."

"Have you talked to anyone from glee club?"

"You know what? Not really. I mean not like, often. I hear from people here and there. I have kept in touch with Sam, of course."

"Oh yeah, how's the great 'Samcedes' going? Is it still going?"

"Yeah, and no. I mean, we both know that being so far is just gonna hurt us more than it'll help. So we're just keeping it friends for now. If we're meant to be, then later on in life we'll be."

"That's good." I reply distractedly thinking of myself and Rachel and our distance and the possibility of it factoring into our relationship. "But yeah, while I still have you, have you heard from like Kurt," I decide to add, "or maybe even Rachel?" I nervously wait in bated breath. I know that those four words may give me away, but I have to know.

"And there's the million dollar question. Two things: one, I actually have talked to Kurt," she dramatically pauses, "on Skype, and I don't know if you know or not, but they live together now, so I have talked to her too. And two, I thought you guys had those train passes? You haven't gone to see her yet? Thanksgiving's in like a month. Speaking of, are you going to Ohio for your break?"

How'd she hear about those? Oh yeah, Rachel probably told Kurt and he told Mercedes, or she just flat out told her. "That's good. I actually have heard that they were living together. Yeah, I'm going home for break. Family weekend was last weekend and my mom came because she's trying to be a better mom. Well, when she was here, she thought to bring up the fact that the holidays are coming up and continuously requested that I come home to spend time as a family. She might even be getting Frannie and her husband to go to Ohio."

"Wow, she's serious."

"Yeah, she is. And no, we haven't used the passes yet. I've been trying to get in touch with her but she hasn't really text me back. I don't want to be some annoying old high school friend desperately holding to our friendship, but I would like to talk every once in a while, ya know?"

"Yeah, I get you. Well, she has been pretty busy. I mean, she's got this new guy after her. His name is Bryan, Brady, Brody. His name is Brody. Yeah, and white boy's been trying to get her vegan milk in his white choco puffs." I curl my lip in disgust when she mentions there's another guy, but laugh it off at her adapted quote of will. .

"Oh." I don't know what to say. I mean, it's not like I secretly imagined taking her around New York to the sights she hasn't seen and ones I didn't get to see while we were there two years ago.

"Yeah. I've gotta go Quinn, got this audition my agent scheduled for me tomorrow, and I need to rehearse. Definitely keep in touch. Maybe I'll see you during the holidays soon, depending on my schedule."

"Yeah, yeah, okay. That's fine. I'll talk to you then and I'll text you from time to time. Break a leg!"

"Thanks."

"Bye!" I was about to hang up but I heard a quick "Wait!" before I got to end the call.

"Yeah?"

"Hurry up and get your girl before he goes in for the kill." That was the last thing before the line went dead.

_Hurry up and get your girl before he goes in for the kill?_ **Shit**. What does Mercedes know?

_Alrighty, well that was an interesting conversation. Am I really that obvious? I know I've harbored some unacknowledged feelings towards Rachel, but how does Mercedes know? I mean, I know she knew about Brittany and Santana, but they were so bad at hiding it that the whole school knew about them before they said anything. I wonder who el— *beep* _My phone interrupts my thoughts.

_Kurt/Rachel skype: QueenPorcelain –Mercedes_

_Oh my gosh. Mercedes is helping me. I don't know what to do. Should I do it? I should. Awesome. But when? How? I don't even kn_— _*beep*_

_Get your girl. They're both home tonight. GO FOR IT! –Mercedes_

Damn, Mercedes is good. I reply with a meager '_thnxJ –q' _and glance at the time on my phone: 2:25. It's a Thursday afternoon, so I only have one last drama class at 3:30 that'll be over at 5:30. By the time I get a quick to-go dinner at the dining hall and get back to my room, it'll be a little after 6pm; I'll call them then. Now that my plan is figured out, I run to the dining hall to grab something for lunch before I go to class.

* * *

Same day, Mercedes POV

"Hurry up and get your girl before he goes in for the kill." I quickly throw in before I immediately disconnect the call. _Hopefully she gets the idea. _See, I've known about the whole love-hate relationship Kurt and I have so nicely named Faberry. We figured something was going down between them right around the whole _I Feel Pretty/Unpretty_ mash-up they did when Berry had her whole nose job thing. I mean, me and my boy had a feeling something was going down but it wasn't until that mash-up, that all of that UST was truly confirmed for me and Kurt. I figured Quinn didn't have Kurt's number and obviously Rachel was too busy with NYADA's resident Justin Timberlake to answer, I'd give Quinn a hand and give her Kurt's Skype name and a little push to go for it. When you took away all of the negative and the horrid past out of their relationship, Faberry was actually a pretty adorable relationship.

I figured to get her to do it tonight, because I know she'd chicken out. I text Kurt practically every other day, so I know their schedule pretty well. I know Thursdays are the one night during the week that they don't do much except for ordering take-out and watch musicals.

After I send that last text to Quinn, I call Kurt.

"Newest intern at speaking."

"Hey. OH MY GOD! Congratulations! I'm guessing I don't have to ask how the interview went?"

"Hey 'Cedes! Yes it went fabulously!"

"I still want details!"

"They're coming, they're coming!" He laughs off. "So I walk in and Isabelle Wright pops out of her clothes rack and just says Columbus."

"Columbus?"

"Yeah, well she's from Columbus."

"The great Isabelle Wright is from Columbus, OHIO?"

"Yes, ma'am, She then proceeds to tell me how she got food poisoning at BreadStix and refuses to go there ever again."

"Oh god, don't let Santana hear that!"

"She'll go _all_ Lima Heights!" We exclaim in unison while laughing.

"But yeah, she asks me all the usual interview questions and gives me the job on the spot!"

"Oh my gosh! That is amazing! Good for you Kurt! Today , tomorrow Fashion Week!"

"Ha ha, I wouldn't go that far. I mean, I still kind of want to go Broadway."

"Kind of?"

"Yeah, Isabelle might have said some things that I may still be thinking about."

"Oh, Kurt! Before I forget: Operation: Faberry is officially in go."

"What? When did that ever become an operation?"

"Just now. All I need you to do is make sure you're logged into Skype as soon as you get home and be expecting a call from a certain blonde Yale student."

"WHAT! Oh, this is definitely an operation I'm anxiously awaiting to complete."

"Yeah, I know. Just don't forget to make sure Rachel is with you and not out on the town with Zac Efron."

"Sir, yes, sir." Kurt mocks.


	2. Can You Find The Time

Chapter 2

Quinn POV

**6:18 p**m. Those are the numbers that are staring at me from the screen of my phone. I'm lying on my bed with my laptop in front of me opened to Skype and waiting for Kurt to accept my request to add him as a contact. I look at my phone again: **6:19**. I'm so nervous; I haven't even touched my food. I don't even know why I'm so nervous. I mean, it's just Rachel Berry. I've known her since middle school. We've been official friends for about a year now. Another stolen glance at the time, but this time on my computer: **6:21**. Why is time going by so slow? I decide that I need to occupy myself. I minimize Skype and log onto Facebook and twitter and even start to read up on some Shakespeare online. I become so immersed in distracting myself, I almost forget I'm waiting on a call; that is until I hear the familiar chimes of the Skype and see the picture of Kurt and Rachel appear over Shakespeare's fifth sonnet. I look at the displayed time in the corner of my screen: **6:27**. I nervously press 'answer with video'. A black screen comes up while loading their camera feed and I see myself in the corner. Kurt is the first thing I hear.

"Hey Quinn! Long time no talk! I've gotta run, but here's Rachel! Bye!"

The video feed comes in clear and I can see Rachel give Kurt a look before looking back at me. I can hear Kurt grab what I assume to be his coat and the door somewhat slide open and shut with a loud noise. Rachel and I don't rush to say anything just yet. She looks a little embarrassed and keeps her head down. I look at her and notice some changes in her face and hair, and even her shirt looks different. It looks like Kurt and/or the Big Apple have finally made Rachel look like the beautiful woman that she truly is. She finally looks up at me.

Rachel's POV

**5:05pm**. I'm finally out of that disastrous dance class. Cassandra July is going to be the literal death of me. I just can't wait until I get back to the awesome apartment I share with my best friend, Kurt. As much as I hate Cassandra July, her class is starting to get better and I love the rest of my classes at NYADA. I hop on the subway heading over to mine and Kurt's Bushwick flat and I scroll through my messages. I haven't heard from Finn at all. I haven't seen or heard from him since I got to New York after graduation. I know there's like some time that he can't have contact with the outside world, but I'm pretty sure Kurt said it was only for a couple of weeks. It's been four and a half months since graduation. I miss him. I step off the subway and climb the nearby stairs to get back to city level. Continuously scrolling through my messages, I see those that are from another fellow Glee club member that I haven't talked to since graduation. Quinn. I don't know what to say to her really. I know that there is a lot that I could tell her about. We promised to stay in touch; we even have metro passes that she bought for us. For some unknown reason I just won't text her back.

"RACHEL!" I hear a familiar voice from somewhere behind me. I turn to find Kurt holding a small bag of food from our favorite Thursday take-out restaurant.

"Rachel! Finally! I've been calling your name for like five minutes and trying to catch up to you, all while not messing up my amazing outfit."

"Hey Kurt, I'm sorry, I was just thinking."

"Ooohhh, anything, any_one_ good?" He asks with a wink.

"No no no." I quickly close out the open messages and return to the home screen on my phone before I place it back in my coat pocket. "It's nothing; nobody important."

"What time is it?" He looks his phone, which is currently in his hand. **6:02pm**. I hear him mutter under his breath, "Great! A little after six should be good."

"Why is it good?"

"What?" He looks like a crook caught red-handed.

I repeat my question. "Why is it good? You said it's a little after six and that is should be good. I asked why it's good."

"Oh, it's nothing. Nothing important. Everything's great, Rachel, how are you?" he says, quickly trying to recover from his little slip.

"I'm okay. July is still kicking my ass. She's a little nicer, but not by much."

By this time we've reached our building. I look at my phone to look at the time, but really to check for messages. **6:10pm**. We get upstairs and Kurt drops everything into the kitchen area and I go change into something less NYADA and more new Rachel Berry. I go into the kitchen and see a plate full of my favorites, but nothing for Kurt.

"C'mon and eat, Rach."

"Where's your food?"

"Questions, questions. Aren't you the inquisitive one?" He winks at me and opens up his laptop. Because of our sitting positions at the table, I begin eating and watch him carefully. His eyes light up and grabs his phone. He shoots off a quick text to someone unknown and then puts his attention back onto his laptop. He soon starts clicking things and then I hear the sound of a Skype call.

"Um, Kurt, it's our movie night. Blaine knows this, why are you calling him on Skype? It's almost 6:30. What movie are we watching tonight? You still haven't answered my question about your food."

He easily evades my line of questioning again, "Again with the questions. Just be patient and everything will be revealed to you." Kurt turns his computer around to face me just as the call is being answered and yells.

"Hey Quinn! Long time no talk! I've gotta run, but here's Rachel! Bye!"

Hearing the name 'Quinn', I freeze. Kurt looks at me lovingly and apologetically. I give him a look saying _What am I supposed to do? You know I haven't talked to her! Why are you leaving me? Help me!_ Kurt quickly leaves the apartment. I can feel her eyes on me and I look at my hands, which have now taken residence on the table. I feel like she's bored a hole through my face and I finally look up to lock eyes and say the first thing that comes to my mind: "How's the weather?"

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I know it's kind of a weird ending. I also know that it's short, but I've split this skype call into a few different chapters. I'll try to make this a weekly thing as much as I can. -sammy


	3. The Hardest Parts You'll Get Through

**Hey you guys! I'm sorry it's been forever since I last updated! I got busy with moving and then the holidays and now work. It's just been a mess. I'm still struggling on how exactly this story is gonna be played out. I have been writing some more, so we'll see how this goes! Thanks for all of the follows and favorites. Hopefully you guys will continue to like what I'm writing! Thanks again guys! -sammy**

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_Previously on Penguin (in Rachel's POV)_

_I can feel her eyes on me and I look at my hands, which have now taken residence on the table. I feel like she's bored a hole through my face and I finally look up to lock eyes and say the first thing that comes to my mind: "How's the weather?"_

* * *

Quinn's POV

_"How's the weather?" Did she just really say that?_ I can't help but laugh. I literally am rolling on my bed laughing. Only Rachel Berry would ask about the weather when she hasn't spoken to you in months.

"It's getting chilly. I mean, it _is_ mid-October in New England. How's New York? And how are you?"

"Yeah, sorry," she apologizes, "I just…kinda blanked. New York is good. NYADA is kicking my ass and adequately preparing me for the challenges of Broadway. How have you been?" I lift my signature brow. She did not just ask me how I have been. I immediately turn on HBIC Quinn.

"Really? Are you really asking me how I've been?" She nods, surprised at my tone. "I've been texting you since you left for New York four months ago! Now you decide to ask me how I'm doing? Apparently you weren't even planning on talking to me. When were you going to decide that I was worth talking to, huh? Were you even going to talk to me at all?" I finish my rant. I close my eyes and take a deep breathe to calm down because I've become entirely infuriated with the whole situation. I really needed to get that off of my chest. I just thought that we were different. Our friendship was different than any of the other glee club friendships. After a few more calming breaths, I realize that she hasn't said a word yet. I look up at her and her face goes from shocked to ashamed, as she realizes that what I said was true. I see the shame in her face and feel better now that she can see how I've been feeling the past couple of months, but then I see a single tear flow down her cheek. I start to feel bad for flying off the handle. "Hey, look at me," I wait until she finally looks up. She has started to silently sob now. "Rach, I'm sorry. I just…I haven't heard from you since you left. I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have gone all crazy!Quinn on you. I just really miss you."

She wipes her tears and gives a small smile. "No, you're right. I should have texted you back. I've even gotten a few of your calls. I've just been putting it off. You have every right to be upset. I've blatantly ignored you for four months. That was incredibly rude of me and it won't happen again, nor should it have happened in the first place. I regret not contacting you, and there is no—"

She's rambling again, so I interrupt her. "Rach"

"—for my actions and I am terri—"

"RACHEL!"

"Quinn!" she retaliates, "Why must you interrupt me? I am trying to apologize to you. I feel deeply apologetic for my actions and I am trying to properly say sorry."

"Rachel! I get it. You're sorry. You just keep rambling." I try to hide my laughter from her rambling behind a front of my existing, but slowly diminishing, anger. I fail miserably. "I would like to know why I haven't heard from you since you left. I thought we were going to keep in touch?"

"Again, I am awfully sorry for not returning any of your calls or texts. I really don't know. I've just been—"

"You don't know?" My anger is coming back, but for Rachel's sake, I'm attempting to keep it calm.

"I've been waiting to hear back from Finn—"

"What does Finn have to do with anything?"

"A lot…nothing. I don't know. I just wanted to talk to Finn before I got to talk to you. I just want to clear the air with him."

"About what?" I maintain the line of questioning pertaining to the relevance of Finn in this situation.

"You will hopefully understand at a later date." She looks in my eyes, but I can tell that she's gone off into her own little world. "But anyway. Again, I'm very sorry for putting you on the back burner. How have you been?"

I'm still confused as to what she means by any of it, but we continue with our conversation. I tell her about classes, clubs I've joined, being a drama major, and my mom coming up for family weekend.

"Last week my mom came up for family weekend. It's a like eleven hour trip. I didn't think she'd actually drive it. I figured she'd fly or something, but nope. She was very adamant about driving to come visit me."

"Haha. I guess we all know where your stubbornness came from." She winks and smiles at me. I am not sure how she'll take the next few details I'm about to give her about that weekend. Hopefully they'll be okay. Last I heard, everything was somewhat okay between them. I guess I'll tell her.

"But guess what?"

"Ooh! What?"

"You'll never guess who she surprised me and brought."

"Oh my gosh. She brought someone? Who was it?" I can tell she is getting excited. She's starting to hop up and down in her seat.

"Guess."

"Lucy Quinn Fabray. How do you tell me to guess something, tell me I would never guess, and continue demanding me to guess? You tell me who joined your mother in her journey to New Haven this instant!" She is giving one of her signature pouts, and I counter with my eyebrow. She softens, "Please?"

I enjoy seeing the little kid in her, but I obey her wishes. "Shelby and Beth."

* * *

Rachel POV

"Please?" I can tell that my pout is working its charm.

"Shelby and Beth."

"Oh."

"Oh?"

"Yes, oh. That is what I said." That's all I could say. I haven't really heard much from Shelby since Sectionals. I have gotten a few texts from her, for things like holidays and congratulating me on graduating high school and getting into NYADA. It's been little things; nothing more.

"You okay? I know not everything's been the greatest between you two."

I shake off the surprise and smidge of hurt. "No, I'm fine. What's happened between herself and I has nothing to do with you. I want—"

"Rachel, you do know that it was my child that she adopted as her "second-chance" kid, right? This has to do a lot with me. If it wasn't for me, then she would never have really come back."

I cringe. I don't know how to take that. I know she didn't really mean for it to come out so terrible, even though I know that it is somewhat the truth.

I guess she realizes the effect of her words. "I'm so sorry Rachel. I didn't mean for it to come out like that. I just, what happened between the two of you-I'm sorry. I should have never brought it up. I just got really excited because I got to see Beth. I thought about how a couple years ago I thought I was never gonna have this. I thought I was going to be stuck in Lima forever and be some idiotic 'Lima Loser' statistic. Beth is seeing me make something of myself and being someone."

I see the immediate change in her face as the topic shifts from Shelby to Beth. I can tell that that little girl has truly changed Quinn, and made her into the determined woman that is before me. I know that she's talking about her daughter, but I still honestly wish I had someone who spoke of me and had that proverbial twinkle in their eye. I know my fathers do, but they just don't show it. Everything is expected of me, nothing is pure joy or excitement with them. I just want someone to feel endless pride for me with everything I do. Even as Quinn goes on with stories about how much Beth has grown and is adjusting to pre-school, I can see in her eyes the growth of her own delightment in her daughter, even though she isn't raising her.

"Hey Rach," she pauses in the middle of her story, "are you sure that you're okay? You've been really quiet. No interruptions or comments or anything. Am I boring you? I shouldn't do th—"

I put up my hand and effectively stop her mid-sentence. "Quinn, it's fine. She is your daughter, even though you haven't raised her, she is still a part of who you are. If she was never conceived and born, who knows who you would have been today? She has _changed you for good_." I sincerely tell her, singing the last part. "Besides, you were so much happier talking about her, than about any other conversational topic we have had all night. It made me happy to see you happy." I say with a content smile, which she returns.

"She is just so amazing. It's incredibly difficult to believe that head cheerleader, president of the celibacy club Quinn Fabray, and man-whore Noah Puckerman, created that perfect little being."

"Yes, now look where both of you are now because of that pint-sized blessing. You graduated high school, top of your class, and are attending Yale. You don't obsess over what everyone thinks and what their opinions may or may not be. You have an amazing group of friends, a new family, that has and always will support you and you even gained a new best friend, even better than your previous one, if I do say so myself." I add, winking at her. "Noah, has actually graduated high school, and is now running his own business. Last I heard, he has even slowed down on his promiscuous ways."

"Rachel, because of that little girl, I have grown and I do admit, I have changed for the better. I have learned so much about who I am as a person."

"That's great, Quinn. I mean it. Every—"

* * *

Quinn POV

"No. Stop," I close my eyes and take a deep, calming breath. "Just let me get this out, then you can talk, okay?" She nods. "I know that you went to New York right after graduation. Well, I didn't exactly spend my summer in Lima either. I did a little travel and went to a few events. Hell, I even had a summer fling, another one." I say with a laugh, remembering that really creepy dude I dated the previous summer. "And along the way, I discovered something about myself. I, I li‒," I closed my eyes, took another slower calming breath and continued, "I like girls." I opened my eyes to see her eyes grow wide. "I'm gay."


End file.
